Detroit Atheneum Hotel Wedding | GREEKTOWN PHOTOS

Derek, the manager at the International Banquet Center inside the Atheneum hotel in Greektown Detroit said it best when he told me that "Hands down this is the BEST wedding venue in the city of Detroit for a wedding. We offer impecible service, good helpful attitudes, and our couples and their guests have a great time!" Derek, you are right! You rock and so does your staff! I absolutely love this wedding venue and I adore the staff as well. I will post another blog soon on why I love working at the Atheneum hotel and why you should consider having your wedding there - but for purposes of Stephanie and Zach's story, the staff helped make their day perfect! I have no idea how they flip a room so fast, but it's with lightening speed and precision.

Making the decision to get married in January is a decision best left to couples who are made a little tougher on the inside. It's typically cold, perhaps snowy, maybe icy, and who knows - it could be really windy too. On this day in January we had all of the above, but Stephanie and Zach, just wanted to get married. It didn't matter if the world fell down around them as long as they were together. That is the stuff real love is made out of folks! Right there!

Let's go back a bit, shall we? Stephanie and Zach actually met when they were 22 years old. They had more than a couple of things in common, but here are the two I remember the most. They loved the city of Detroit and they both love Stevie Wonder! I actually think Zach loves Stevie Wonder more than me, and I had NO idea that was possible! I am a motown girl all the way! Okay back to the story. They didn't hit it off right away because Zach was moving out of state, so they just parted as friends, not knowing what the future would hold for them. Five years later Zach moved back to Michigan and asked Stephanie out to dinner to catch up. It didn't take long for the couple to catch up and fall in love! Zach surprised Stephanie with his proposal on the way to a Stevie Wonder concert in the D! Making the decision to celebrate their wedding with friends and family in the city was only fitting, don't you think?

Their wedding day was just about as perfect as any wedding day in January can be. We had icky weather (it is Michigan after all people), but the worst of it came at the best times throughout the day, so it worked out perfectly! As far as Jewish wedding traditions go, Stephanie and Zach celebrated with all the standards, and love was alive as we Mazel'd in the D that day! One of the highlights for me was the ketubah. It was absolutely beautiful and ornate. I see many ketubah's in my line of work and this one was very original and lovely. Check it out below. One of my favorite moments of the day was right after their first look Stephanie and Zach decided to live on the edge and go on the roof with me. With the windchill that day reading negative 15 degrees, we only lasted about 45 seconds before my fingers froze to my metal camera body and Stephanie and Zach were shivering, but it was worth it.

I really adore this couple and their fun free spirit! They love their friends and family, but most importantly they love one another. I could feel their energy and you'll be able to as well as you scroll through some of my favorite memories from their wedding day. Congrats Stephanie and Zach!!!

I love the final moments when a bride is just about dressed before she meets her groom. It's a quiet moment of reflection and it's so lovely to capture. The Atheneum Suites in Detroit are really gorgeous!

Because it was so cold and the windchill was negative 15, we decided to go to the only place in the hotel that had light, a little bit of privacy and heat lamps for the first look. Plus, my second shooter and I had a plan for Stephanie and Zach.

My second shooter and I had a "secret" plan, that was to have the first look in the parking garage walkway because we knew it was private and also close to the rooftop access point. Knowing it was negative 15, we had to work fast and talk Stephanie and Zach into freezing for just a few moments so we could capture something beautiful for them. It didn't take much convincing. Stephanie and Zach were up for anything! They trusted us, and I'm glad they did. I love the Detroit skyline in the background of a wedding photo!

I loved their faces when they got up on the chairs during the Horah!

And one of the biggest surprises of the night... Zach played a Stevie Wonder tune with the band! Collision Six is one of the top Metro Detroit bands! Check them out!

Zach's mom rocking it out as he plays!

Michigan wedding photography by Kellie Saunders, Detroit Michigan wedding photographers. Kellie Saunders is one of the best Metro Detroit Wedding photographers around. She is a professional artistic wedding photographer located in Birmingham, Michigan. Her work has been published both locally and nationally in print and online. Her studio serves the entire metro Detroit area and offers wedding photography at it's best. Each wedding is treated with love, creativity and care not found in larger studios. She has an authentic documentary style and specializes in creating sophisticated and timeless wedding portraits.